MARGAO, MARCH 23
Residents of Chandor woke up on Tuesday to hear the shocking news of unknown miscreants vandalizing a Grotto, three Crosses, including the miraculous Alma Khuris, besides damaging a mausoleum, altar and other items in the cemetery.
As news of the desecration spread across the villages of Chandor, Guirdolim and Curtorim, the parish priest of Our Lady of Bethlehem Church, Fr Saude Pereira appealed to the parishioners to maintain calm and allow the police to investigate the incident.
The miscreants vandalized the statues of three Shepherds in the Grotto and later desecrated the cross located on an Anchor atop the band stand outside the Church. The miscreants apparently used a ladder to climb atop the band stand and cause damage to the Cross on the Anchor.
A cross on the tomb of the Fernandes’ family was also damaged, while damage was caused to mausoleum of the Carvalho family from the village. Besides, the side door of the cemetery was found broken. The altar inside the cemetery was also damaged, sources said.
The miscreants then targeted the Alma Khuris located at Cavorim – nearly a kilometer away from the Church. The Cross was knocked down from the pedestal; while the cemented grills of the compound wall and the granite floor of the Cross structure was also damaged.
The incident came to light at around 5.30 in the morning when a local resident noticed the Alma Khuris vandalized when he was on his way to reach his son. Villagers were shocked over the extent of vandalism as the Church premises are well lit and the incident happened around 200 meters away from the police outpost.
Fr Pereira told Herald that he was intimated of the incident after the 7 am mass by the sacristan. “Our Grotto has been damaged. The statues of Shepherds Jacinto, Francisco and Lucia have been broken totally. The miscreants damaged the Cross on the Anchor and also broke the dome,” Fr Pereria added.
When asked who could be behind the incident, Fr Pereira said “We have no suspects. I am completing 10 months now after taking over as the parish priest,” while appealing for calm.
A local resident Julio D’Silva said the incident has taken place despite the fact that the entire place where the Grotto is located is well lit. “It is obviously an act of vandalism,” he said, and appreciated the Parish Priest for calling upon the people to maintain peace and calm. He, however, said that the people will resort to some action, including holding prayer services, if the police fail to nab the culprits.
A police dog which was pressed into services failed to provide any clue to the Maina-Curtorim police. PI Sidhant Shirodkar, however, said that some finger prints have been lifted from the premises housing the Alma Khuris.
Meanwhile, the Maina-Curtorim police have registered two criminal cases following separate complaints filed by Ignatius Marcline Dias and Tadev Luis. In both the cases, the police have invoked section 153-A of the IPC against unknown miscreants for creating enmity between different religious groups.
PI Shirodkar said that the police have spotted a cemented dolphin and a Lion on the compound walls along the Alma Khuris road damaged by the miscreants.
